


Defy or Deify

by EssayOfThoughts



Series: MCU Maximoff Oneshots [92]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Character Study, Codependency, Gen, Pietro Has Issues, Pietro Has Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Post Avengers: Infinity War Speculation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 08:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7676590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EssayOfThoughts/pseuds/EssayOfThoughts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pietro rests sitting up, strokes his fingers through his sleeping sister's hair.</p><p>He had never wanted this for Wanda. He'd fought, night and day, from when they were ten and pulled from the choking cavern that had been their home. He'd fought to protect her from this, made every sacrifice he could so she would never have to and now...</p><p> </p><p>  <i>Wanda faced down a god for me.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Defy or Deify

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [For Each Other](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7390108) by [EssayOfThoughts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EssayOfThoughts/pseuds/EssayOfThoughts). 



_Wanda faced down a god for me,_ Pietro thinks. He had known what she intended, of course, to put herself in the path of the strike Thanos had aimed at him but...

_Wanda faced down a god for me._

There has never been anything they would not do for each other, Pietro knows this, he _knows_ this. When it comes down to it they would each sacrifice everything for each other, always. That has never been in question but...

Pietro rests sitting up, strokes his fingers through his sleeping sister's hair.

He had never wanted this for Wanda. He'd fought, night and day, from when they were ten and pulled from the choking cavern that had been their home. He'd fought to protect her from this, made every sacrifice he could so she would never have to and now...

_Wanda faced down a god for me._

He has always known Wanda cares as deeply for him as he for her. Always known she will protect him just as much as he protects her, planning their path so he did not have to protect her as much. He protected actively, she passively. She actively chose for them and he passively trusted her to pick their path.

This was the way of things, had always been the way of things, would always be the way of things. The give and take, the back and forth of their protection was as natural and balanced as breathing.

But Wanda had faced down a god for him.

There was nothing _balanced_ in that, nothing _natural_ in that, to face down so powerful an entity.

And not even for the world, not even for many people. The fight had been for that, yes, but Wanda had faced down Thanos for _him,_ put herself in Thanos’ way for _him,_ had not started fight so absolutely in earnest until _he_ was threatened. They would always do _anything_ for each other but-

Wanda had risked so much for him already and then she had risked _death._

The thought keeps echoing through his head.

_Wanda faced down a god for me._

_Not how it should be, not how it should be._ He fought for Wanda so she did not have to fight for him. He put himself in harm's way so she would never be hurt. He gave up food so she could eat, gave up sleep so she could rest in safety, he let himself be weak without her so she could be strong without him. She knows how to protect and guide, knows how to care for others than just them, knows how to reach outwards in a way that Pietro long ago gave up.

He watches his sister’s sleeping, untroubled face and thinks, _I never wanted this for you._

(He knows, deep within, that he would do the same for her. Has there ever been a question of it, of his dedication to his sister? They are twins, born together, gone through so much together, belonging only to each other because there is no other way they could be…)

(Pietro is Wanda’s protector, though, and yet it was _she_ who faced down a god for _he.)_

In his mind, memories align. From when they were ten, scattered memories passed between them down the scarlet bridge of Wanda’s powers. Precise ones from when they gained their powers, timelines aligned, perfect understanding of the paths they each took alongside each other.

In Pietro’s mind there is…

 _When they were six, sitting by the river sharing sweets they had bought-_  
             _-hot chocolate given to them at ten when they’d been pulled choking from the dust-_  
                         _-the dust filled maths classroom, Wanda’s memories of it where he’d forgotten-_  
                                      _-outside school, Wanda’s hands on his bruises, patching him up from a fight-_  
                                                _-bruises from the experiments-_  
                                                            _-the fevers from the experiments-_  
                                                                        _-fevers from when they were children, each burning up-  
_                                                                                     _-setting afire to those who would hurt them-_

Memories and memories, from each of them, shared, comingled, his memories, Wanda’s, together and distinct-

 _-the burning streets, protest after protest to no effect-_  
             _-a chance of power, to fight and have an effect-_  
                          _-experiments, Wanda seeing minds, his speed colliding him into walls-_  
                                    _-training, sparring, learning-_  
                                                _-the attack on the castle,_ **_are we just going to let them take it?-  
_**                                                             _-Ultron, offering a chance to fight, Wanda’s mind, singing-_  
                                                                        _-the lies, the loss, the choice to ally with enemies-  
_                                                                                     _-battle, thin air, Wanda’s strength, his pain-_

and then…

A great gaping hole.

Wanda’s memories trailing alongside nothingness, ( _his pain in her mind, her scream, Ultron’s metal heart torn out. Grieving, training, fighting. An explosion, people dead. An airport. Another fight. Another cell. Wanda curled in the corner while burns on her throat ache. Thanos’ words:_ **_bring me the mind stone and I will give you back your brother.)_**

(Pietro searches and searches through that space for _something_ , some trace of a god or angel or afterlife, some trace of the tie that brought him back to Wanda and there is _nothing,_ nothing but Wanda’s own memories.)

Wanda’s own memories, Wanda’s own certainty, that is the only tie. (He was not there to tie back to her.)

Wanda bargained with a god for him. Wanda betrayed a god for him. Wanda _faced down a god for him._

_(Not how it should be, not how it should be-)_

His fingers knot in Wanda’s hair, on his thigh his other hand presses hard against muscle, straining, pain, anchoring.

He has always led their path - Wanda might chose where they should go but he takes the first step onto it, tests the waters, springs the traps. He was the first of them to _life_ , clearing the path for Wanda.

 _(In that,_ he supposes, _it is not surprising I cleared the way to death too.)_

But this, in this…

Wanda had taken the first step. Wanda had planned and acted both because he had not been there. Wanda had chosen the path, had walked it alone, and, alone, she had faced down a god.

 _My sister,_ Pietro thinks, warm, affectionate, worried, all. He presses a kiss to her hair, leans back even as his worry could make him shake as much as his speed. _Never again,_ he promises. _You will never have to be alone again._

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are, as always, very much appreciated. I hope to have one of the prompts done and posted by this evening.


End file.
